Microsoft Windows Vista Service Pack 1

Higher degree of program compatibility than with the RTM version. Increased speed when copying large files and connecting to networked PCs. Overall speed improvement as well. Improvements in BitLocker encryption. Configurable Search option.

Cons
No real indication of memory fixes when using large graphics files.

Bottom Line

Microsoft Vista SP1 represents a significant first move toward a faster, more secure, and slightly more open Vista.

As noted, improvements in security define SP1. Firstand particularly important if you're a group administratorthe Group Management Policy Console (GMPC) has disappeared, and the Group Policy editor (GPEdit) focuses on local instead of global policy. The goal is to leave strategic group policy decisions in the hands of systems administrators rather than individual users. Second, with SP1 on 64-bit Vista, third-party anti-malware programs gain access to new application programming interfaces that let them directly extend the Windows kernel to provide lower-level detection of malicious code. That gives them a better chance at blocking or deleting such code.

SP1 also allows Remote Desktop files to be signed, providing increased security across the connection established between machines using the Remote Desktop Protocol. Larger organizations will also be happy on at least two counts: Vista PCs on a domain will no longer have difficulty working off-line; and SP1 adds the Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol, allowing for more secure access to VPNs.

Another enhancement affects almost exclusively those who've purchased computers that shipped with Vista installed. BitLocker, built into the original Vista so that you could encrypt an entire drive, originally functioned only with the drive the OS boots from. To encrypt other drives (or folders), you had to use Vista's Encrypting File System. With SP1, you can use BitLocker to encrypt any drive, even USB devices, and any partition, not just bootable volumesan obvious improvement. But if your motherboard doesn't already contain a TPM (Trusted Platform Module chip), you can't use BitLocker unless you're willing to do some serious system configuration.

To see whether BitLocker will work, click on the Start button and type bitlocker into the Start Search field. On systems without a TPM, the resulting BitLocker window will announce the fact (and not let you use the capability). Because Bitlocker encrypts the entire boot drive, it's especially useful for laptop users, whose computers can easily be stolen. But keep in mind that if you forget the password, there's no way to get into your own files.Next: More Vista Details

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